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N0. 6I6,84l. Patented Dec. 27, I898. J. D. HOBBS.

BICYCLE SADDLE.

- (Application filed July 6, 1896. Renewed June 3, 1898.) (No Modei.)

WITNESSES: I w X E Q6 i 62, fy PL-Rm THE uonms wzrzns on. wnofuumu. wnsumvsnmv n. u.

NrrED STATES JEFFERSON 1). HOBBS, on NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR or ONE-HALF TO CHARLES S. ERB,

OF SAME PLACE.

BICYCLE-SADDLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 616,841, dated December 27, 1898.

Application filed July 6,1896. Renewed June 3, 1898.. Serial No. 682,502. (No model.)

To all whmn it may concern:

Be it known that I, J EEEEEsoN D. HOBBS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Bicycle-Saddles, of which the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification.

My invention relates to saddles, and more particularly to bicycle-saddles. It is well understood that one of the principal-objections found in this class of saddles is the chafing or soreness caused to the rider after being upon the same for some time by reason of the lack of circulation of air to the rider where he sits upon the saddle; and it has been the object of my present invention to provide a saddle in which this objection will be avoided. In carrying my invention into effect I provide the seat of the saddle, which may be formed of any suitable material, with perforations therein and locate one or more air-chambers immediately beneath or adjacent to such perforated seat, the wall of which chambers, as herein shown, are so connected or arranged relative to the usual downwardly hanging side or flap pieces of a saddle whereby the wall of said chambers will be compressed to force air therefrom through the perforations of the seat and be expanded to take air into the chambers under the action or motion of the rider. By this construction a continuous current of air is forced through the perforated seat and against the rider under the action or motion of the latter.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l represents a plan view of a saddle embodying my invention; and Fig. 2 represents a cross-section through the same, taken at the line 2 2. To explain in detail, Ct represents the seat of the saddle, which may be supported or secured upon a frame of any suitable construction, and a represents a flat spring which extends from the rear cantle to the front pommel-plate (which parts are omitted from the drawings herein) and connects and supports the same. This spring, which may be a rigid piece, if so desired, is that part of the saddle-frame which is adapted to be secured upon the saddle-post of a bicycle bya clamp or other suitable means, as well understood. The seat a of this saddle, as herein illustrated, is formed of two pieces of leather or other suitable material, (represented at o and (1, which are secured together with an interposed layer of hair or suitable filling a by means of eyelets a The seat thus constructed forms an upholstered seat and is my preferred form of construction. It will be obvious, however, that for the purposes of myinvention, as hereinafter set forth, the said seat a may be a single piece of perforated leather. The seat a, according to my present invention, is also provided with the usual sides or flap-pieces (wa adjacent to the forward end of the same.

On the under side of the seat a and lengthwise of the center thereof a piece of leather or other suitable flexible material I) is centrally stitched or secured thereto at b. The outer edges of this material I) are secured to the outer edges of the seat 66 and of the flappieces a a, forming a part thereof, and is of such size or dimensions as to form a somewhat enlarged air-chamberb on the under side of the seat at opposite sides of the center thereof, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. Thesaid flap-pieces a a are yieldingly held in a normal extended or raised position, as shown in the drawings, by means of a fiat spring a, which is attached at its center to the under side of the seat, with its two ends extending beneath the flap-pieces a a, as shown in Fig. 2. By means of this construction the said two fiap-pieces,being yieldingly held in the path of movement of the riders legs, are alternately depressed thereby as the rider lowers or straightens the same in the act of pedaling his wheel and raised or extended under the action of the spring as he raises his legs, as will be readily understood. WVhen the flappieces are thus depressed, the lower walls of the airchambers 12 b are folded or compressed, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2, and thereby forces the air from said chambers through the eyelets a and against the seat of the rider. When the wallsof the airchambers are distended under the action of the spring 0, the air is taken therein through suitable valves cl, the same as herein shown being ordinary flap-valves. That portion of the leather Zr adjacent to the center of the seat is preferably reinforced by a heavy piece of leather or other suitable material, so as to form a vertical stiffened wall I) and remain laterally stationary to withstand the pressure against the same caused by the depressing of the flap-pieces a a. As herein shown and as a further support to the walls 7) I1 I have provided the spring a with a vertical rib 0 thereon, which extends between the walls I) U, as shown in section in Fig. 2, and serves as a lateral support to the same.

Having thus set forth my invention as embodied in one practical form, I do not wish to be understood as confining myself to the particular details of construction and arrangement of parts as herein illustrated and described, as it will be obvious that the same may be more or less materially modified without departure from the spirit of my invention as set forth in the accompanying claims.

hat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. A saddle, consisting of a suitable frame or support provided with a perforated seat thereon having flexible side pieces, and an air-chamber communicating with said perforated seat, having the Wall thereof arranged relative to said side pieces to be compressed thereby, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. A saddle, consisting of a suitable frame or support provided with a perforated seat thereon, flexible pieces connected with said seat and supported in a normal yielding position to extend into the path of movement of the riders legs, and a flexible wall having a valve therein secured to said seat and to the connected flexible pieces, forming an airchamber, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

JEFFERSON D. HOBBS.

\Vitnesses:

CHAS. 1 DANE, A. L. HAYES. 

